Great Backyard Bird Count is this weekend

Bird watchers across the United States and Canada are conducting a midwinter ornithological census, collecting data that helps scientists keep track of bird populations.

And you can help, says Sarah Porter, executive director of Audubon Arizona.

During the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which wraps up Monday, "citizen scientists" venture out to tally all the birds they see in 15 minutes.

The count is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which posts results online nearly as quickly as they come in, allowing participants to see how many and what kinds of birds are being reported from locations all across the United States and Canada.

Arizona observers last year recorded more than more than 110,000 birds, representing 231 species. All totaled, more than 11 million birds, representing more than 600 species, were tabulated.

"What's particularly useful about this data is that it's on a big scale," said Emily Morris, a naturalist and teacher with Audubon Arizona. "For scientists, that's one of the most important things they can have."

Anyone from fledgling birders to observers with hundreds of species on their life lists can participate. Data can be from a single 15-minute session or from any number of sessions spread over several days.